Cleaning Slate- I’m often asked how to clean slate, so here are a couple of my top tips;

– slate is a naturally absorbent material and will absorb any liquid and will extract oils/moisture. I have some really cool Cornish sea slate pebbles which will extract moisture from hands as you hold them!

– the simplest way to clean slate is using very hot soapy water- this should remove most stains, especially from newer slate.

– for cheeseboards, an effective way of preventing stains is to rub the whole surface lightly with olive oil. Be aware though- this will not only darken the slate, but also the carvings- they may end up not quite so obvious on the surface.

– for wall plaques/exterior trivets (for non-food items), you can rub lightly with WD-40 (anyone ever wonder what happened to WD-1 to WD-39?!). This really brings out the natural qualities in each slate piece (but again, may darken down some carvings).

– or just leave the slate to age and form a natural patina over the years. The trivets which I use in my kitchen are un-treated, but I think they look great!

– you can even put slate in your dishwasher! BUT- I won’t be responsible for either the slate, or your dishwasher should you want to try this out 😉